Beds with commodes are well known and have been in use for many years. For example, a U.S. patent of Ishikawa, U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,583 discloses a bed with a commode or stool having a main mattress provided with a through-hole in which the commode and mattress may be positioned alternately by manipulation of an operating panel mounted at or near the bed. The front part of the main mattress may be erected along a transverse fold line so as to serve a reclining position.
A more recent U.S. patent of Okamoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,875 discloses a nursed person's bed with a flush toilet. As disclosed, a bed, in combination with a flush toilet has a bed body provided with an opening. The opening has a width which is sufficient to accommodate the hips of a sick or disabled person laying on the bed. The opening can be opened and closed by a cover. The cover can be withdrawn from a retracted position where it is accommodated on the back of the bed body to close the opening. A flush toilet is disposed below the opening. A toilet seat is disposed in the opening and has a somewhat cylindrical excreta guide for reliably guiding excreta into the flush toilet. The toilet seat can be tilted about a vertical axis by a lift. Also, the toilet seat's free end is tilted upward so as to be in close contact with the hips of the sick or disabled person.
Finally, a U.S. patent of Son, U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,646 discloses a dual-function folding bed used as a chair equipped with a patient toilet. The Son patent discloses a dual-function bed used as a chair and equipped with a patient toilet. The bed is designed to be selectively used as a chair by controlling the folding angle of it with the operation of a reduction motor. Moreover, as attached equipment, the toilet having the capabilities of cleaning itself and discharging excrement, provides great convenience to a patient. Subsequently, the invention allows a disabled and non-ambulatory patient to relieve oneself and rest by simply operating a control unit without a nurse.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved bed with an integral toilet for a bed ridden patient in accordance with the present invention. There should be a commercial market for such beds because they include means for washing and drying a patient's body after a bed ridden relieves themselves of human waste, for cleaning the toilet, eliminating odor and storing waste and water for a reasonable period of time. It is also believed that the bed and integral toilet in accordance with the present invention can be produced at a reasonably competitive cost, is easily serviced, sturdy, easily used and yet comfortable for the bed ridden patient.